Tteokbokki
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 5 dried anchovies heads and guts removed
- 1 piece dried kelp kombu) (about 4 inches
- 1 lb garaetteok rice cakes fresh, refrigerated, or frozen and thawed; soaked in cold water 20 min if cold
- 6 oz Korean fish cakes eomuk) (sliced into triangles or strips
- 3 tablespoons gochujang Korean red chili paste
- 1 tablespoon gochugaru Korean red pepper flakes; reduce for less heat
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
- 1 tablespoon sugar or honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil toasted
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 green onions cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 large eggs hard or soft boiled, halved, optional
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the water, dried anchovies, and kelp in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the anchovies and kelp and discard. You should have about 2½ cups of broth. Set aside.
- In a wide, deep skillet or wok, combine the anchovy broth, gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, and minced garlic. Stir well to dissolve the gochujang completely. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Add the soaked and drained rice cakes and the sliced fish cakes to the boiling sauce. Stir to coat everything evenly. Cook at a steady boil, stirring frequently, for 8–10 minutes until the rice cakes are tender and chewy and the sauce has thickened and become glossy. If the sauce reduces too quickly, add a splash of water or broth.
- Add the green onions in the final 2 minutes of cooking and stir to combine.
- Remove from heat and drizzle with sesame oil. Taste and adjust seasoning — add more gochujang for heat, more sugar for sweetness, or a splash of soy sauce for saltiness.
- Divide among bowls and top with halved boiled eggs (if using), sesame seeds, and extra sliced green onions. Serve immediately.
Notes
Soak refrigerated or frozen rice cakes in cold water for 20–30 minutes before cooking to prevent splitting. For rosé tteokbokki, stir in 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or coconut milk in the final 2 minutes. For a vegetarian version, use kombu-only broth, skip the fish cakes, and add firm tofu or mushrooms. Tteokbokki is best eaten fresh — leftovers keep up to 2 days refrigerated; reheat in a skillet with a splash of water or broth.